Shadow Walkers

By T.K. Wrathbone

***to be read after The Howler and before Faded***

Elliot Gunfield has been in a coma for a month since that fateful night on Halloween. The night The Howler came into their lives and destroyed all he knew...including him.

After waking, he finds that he’s different. He feels 1083 years old, that he’s lived a thousand lifetimes, and he’s running out of time. He doesn’t know why, just that he is. His dreams are haunted by bony creatures and hands pulling his heart out of his chest, and he finds out what happened to his best friend, Sam Almaw.

With only two weeks of school left for the year, Elliot returns to find he is now the freak of the school. It seems that dying has left him with an unnatural eye colour, so different to his usual dark brown. The fiery amber of his glowing eyes freaks everyone out, especially Gretchen Merryweather, his arch nemesis. But why can’t he stop staring at Gretchen, and why does his shadow look messy and black?

Elliot finds that death came with an unexpected visitor and that visitor is here to stay unless he can do something about it. And when he finds out what he can do he doesn’t believe that’s the only way. And it all has to do with Gretchen...

• Language: English
• Publisher: T.K. Wrathbone
• Release date: Sep 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781925683370

T.K. Wrathbone

Welcome to the spine-tingling world of T.K. Wrathbone!T.K. Wrathbone is a children's TV show veteran who loves watching disaster and creature/zombie movies and TV shows, but not at night.T.K. started writing many a year ago back in primary school, but only started her author career in 2015 with the release of her first three stories and anthology. She will write and release stories until there are twelve Bones books and a special edition numbered 13...For more information visit – www.tkwrathbone.com

Book preview

SHADOW WALKERS

T.K. Wrathbone

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

About the Author

Other Titles

Copyright

Chapter 1

Elliot Gunfield awoke from his coma on December 1st 2002. It was his 13th birthday, and he had been in a coma for a month since that horrific Halloween night when he faced the blood-red eyes of death. And paid for it with his life.

Doctors and nurses rushed in to check on him and gave him a thorough examination. Much to their surprise, he was fine, except for the change in his eye colour which fascinated the doctor.

Elliot had brown eyes from birth. Dark brown hair and dark brown eyes his best friend Sam Almaw had often said at certain times looked black. His eyes didn’t look black anymore. They were fiery amber instead.

The doctor didn’t understand why they had changed and called in experts, but they too were perplexed by the change, with none of them having ever heard or seen of such a phenomenon. Elliot’s parents didn’t understand it either, but they were just glad their boy was finally awake.

Mum, Dad, he croaked, having not spoken in a month.

Oh, my baby, Sharon Gunfield murmured as she smoothed his hair away from his face. You’re awake. You’re awake.

Elliot licked his lips and sighed. He was tired, even though he’d spent the last month in a coma. It wasn’t sleep he’d had. He’d drifted between bad dreams and reality. The reality of hearing his parents sob his name and tell him what was going on in the world, and dreams that horrified, terrified, tortured him awake. If only he’d actually been awake, he could have run far away from those dreams and not had anything to do with them. But he was trapped. Trapped in a coma that kept him supine in bed, unable to move, unable to scream, unable to get away from the horrors he faced. He was awake now, but wouldn’t talk about them.

It’s so good to have you back, my baby, Sharon cooed, staring into her son’s changed eyes. It’s so good to have you back. And even though he was back, she worried for him. What had the head injury done? What damage was left behind? It couldn’t just be the eyes, it had to be something else. But time would tell even though she didn’t know how much time he had.

So, what’s happened? Elliot asked, his eyes focussed on the clock ticking away on the wall in front of him.

Sharon glanced at her husband, Elliot’s father, Mark Gunfield. They had already discussed how much they were going to tell him. The hospital psychiatrist told them to tell him the truth and not lie because he’d find out anyway. Taking a deep breath, she started slowly. Well, you won the school’s Halloween costume competition. Do you remember that?

Elliot blinked and remembered his Tin Man costume. I beat Gretchen. She was so pissed that she didn’t win.

Language, Mark said softly.

Yeah, whatever, Elliot muttered. Didn’t think that was gonna matter considering what I’ve been through. His eyes stared straight ahead to the clock.

Sharon and Mark exchanged a worried frown before she went on. We collected your trophy. It’s on your bedside cupboard at home. I can bring it in if you like, and maybe some of your toys. I brought Mr Giggles in for you. She pointed to the bear on the trolley beside the bed. I’ve been playing your favourite music. If there’s anything you want, just let me know. I have an overnight bag with pyjamas and toiletries.

Has Sam been in?

She glanced sharply at him before moving her eyes to her husband.

Has Sam been in?

Uh, no sweetie, she said slowly. He hasn’t.

Is he dead?

Sharon watched her son’s face. Why would you say that?

Because one minute we were in the closet then The Howler was there and Sam was gone. His costume was ripped to shreds…

Another glance at her husband. Ummm… Remembering what the psychiatrist said, she added, He was found later…he didn’t survive.

Found where? Elliot frowned.

Near the river. Near old lady Sadie’s house. They think he wandered there dazed and confused.

No! Elliot exclaimed loudly. He was in the closet with me and then he was gone, his costume ripped up and that thing was there instead. It ate Sam. It killed him in the closet. His fists were curled into balls, and the heart monitor went up twenty beats a minute.

Calm down, El. Sharon stood to lean over the bed. "It’s okay. Whatever happened, however it happened, Sam didn’t make it. Neither did Ms Merrin the Home Ec teacher. Several officers died as well. But everyone else is okay. You’re okay. We’re okay."

Where is he?

Who?

Sam…

He’s gone, sweetie.

I know that, you just said it. He finally looked at his mother’s concerned face, his amber eyes flashing. "Where is he, as in, buried?"

Oh. She leaned back and swallowed. Her son’s eyes were unnerving her a little. At the Belmont Cemetery.

When? His frown deepened.

When was he buried? Sharon asked in return and got a nod. Two or three days after the examination. It was quick. Then they left town.

They left town? Elliot’s brain ticked over. He’d been haunted by The Howler in his coma, reliving the whole thing from beginning